Cal, Stanford likely to play 2014 Big Game in Santa Clara

Here’s an early look at Chronicle staff writer Ron Kroichick’s story in Saturday’s Sporting Green:

Cal and Stanford are considering a proposal by the 49ers and Santa Clara Stadium Authority to move next year’s Big Game from Memorial Stadium in Berkeley to the new Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, a Cal official confirmed Friday night.

The move – which both schools are expected to accept as early as next week, according to another well-placed source – drew swift and ringing criticism from many Cal fans. Their online posts offered a tidy mix of outrage and incredulity.

“I really hope there’s a good explanation for why we would have to surrender a traditional home game that means so much to our fans, our alums and our students, especially when we’ve just finished renovating our stadium,” said Nadesan Permaul, former president of the Cal Alumni Association. “I think fans would accept it if they understood. Otherwise, it’s going to be a big disappointment.”

The news first went public in a blog post Friday by Jeffrey Earl Warren, a 1970 Cal alum who routinely writes “A Cal Fan’s Notes.”

If the 2014 Big Game moves to Santa Clara, according to the Cal official, it would return to Berkeley in ’15. That means future Big Games would be played at Memorial Stadium in odd-numbered years and Stanford Stadium in even-numbered years, contrary to the longtime arrangement.

The motive for the 49ers is clear: They need to fill dates at their $1.2 billion palace, scheduled to open for the 2014 NFL season. Stanford’s interest also seems obvious: Levi’s Stadium is much closer to Stanford than it is to Berkeley, and the Cardinal probably covet the idea of hosting the Big Game and Notre Dame game in alternate years.

As it stands now, the Golden Bears and Fighting Irish both visit Stanford in odd-numbered years. This season, Stanford hosts Cal on Nov. 23 and Notre Dame one week later.

Cal’s motive in agreeing to play the ’14 Big Game in Santa Clara is less clear. The Bears also might be enticed by the idea of re-balancing their home schedule; as presently structured, they host several attractive opponents (Stanford, UCLA, Oregon and Washington) in even-numbered years.

Even so, some Cal fans remain uninterested in an extra Big Game in the South Bay.

“It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” one source with ties to the school told The Chronicle. “I’ve seen some e-mails about this, and people think, ‘Are you kidding me?’ ”